As I continue on my journey of achieving my masters degree, Dealspotr.com is offering a scholarship giveaway that I have created this post as my submission for consideration.

For those who’ve been visiting my page for some time will know, saving money was born out of necessity for me. Seven years ago, I found myself homeless, pregnant, jobless and struggling to feed my family. From that experience, I learned how to maximize my purchases, budget, and share my tips with others who also wanted to save.

Couponing can seem overwhelming. There is so much information available, it is difficult to know where to start. Planning is key. Mapping out meals for grocery shopping will help keep your shopping list in check, and prevent overspending on food that you may not eat. Utilizing grocery store circulars can help determine the type of meals you will want to prepare. If ground beef is on sale, maybe a meatloaf that will provide leftovers for lunches. There are websites available that can also help with food planning like Emeals.com.
There are many websites for grocery store coupons available, and also print coupons in the newspaper. With the advent of everyone having a mobile phone, there are now mobile coupons available for both retail and grocery store purchases. Apps like Ibotta, Shopkick, and Coupons.com, can help reduce grocery costs. Retail coupon apps like Retailmenot.com, CartWheel, and SavingsCatcher can help prevent over spending for your everyday items.

The number one consideration to always keep in mind is planning and preparation. Whenever a purchase is to be made, research is important to ensure you aren’t overpaying for an item. Online shopping sites like ebates.com can help with online shopping discounts and rebates back on purchases. Any search engine can also be a great tool for searching for lower prices on an item you may be looking for. There are also countless websites and blogs like DealSpotr.com that can help investigate savings both in stores and online. These communities can also connect you with other people who also want to save and be frugal. Getting the information word of mouth is sometimes the fastest way to be aware of the latest promotion or savings opportunity.

Subscription services can also provide deep discounts for everyday items you may buy regularly. DollarShaveClub.com can be as low as $3.00 a month for razor blades. Amazon.com also has monthly subscription services for everyday items like toilet paper or shampoo. Some of these items can even be delivered the same day.

Overall, regardless of the savings method you use planning and budgeting are the key. Impulse spending can be dangerous and should be kept to a minimum, or set a planned amount accordingly as “blow” money. Setting a spending goal and working within your means will provide a less stressful experience. If your juggling work, school, home life and personal time, these skills will become crucial to your well being. There are great courses available to help with financial planning and budgeting like Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. This course was extremely helpful for me in getting on track with spending. I started out using the envelope system and operated only with cash. It taught me how to stay within my means, even when emergencies came up.

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